page_title: John Dartnell
section_title: Zulu War 1879
hierarchical_section_title: John Dartnell / Zulu War 1879
caption_attribution_description: English: The Natal Mounted Cavalry making their way to the front during the Zulu War - The Illustrated London News - 22 February 1879
context_page_description: Major-General Sir John George Dartnell KCB, CMG was a British soldier and police officer who was the founder and first Commandant of the Natal Mounted Police. A veteran of the Indian Mutiny, he saw action in every campaign in South Africa from 1879 including the Zulu War and the First and Second Boer Wars.
context_section_description: In 1879 during the Zulu War the Natal Mounted Police were attached to the British Army in the Central Column under the command of Lord Chelmsford. The NMP formed part of the mounted column under the command of Major Russell of the 12th Lancers, while Dartnell was attached to Chelmsford's Staff. The men of the NMP were not happy at the prospect of not being commanded in the field by their old chief and refused to cross the border into the Zululand unless he was reinstated, at the same time threatening to resign. However, while no doubt moved by this display of his men's affection Dartnell was a soldier of the old school and after a ‘strong remonstrance’ with his men he persuaded them to serve under Major Russell.
  Once in Zululand early on the morning of 21 January 1879 one detachment of 97 men of the NMP led by Dartnell was sent by Chelmsford to find the location of the Zulu army of Cetshwayo kaMpande. Riding in the direction of Hlazakazi Hill, about 10 miles from Isandlwana, Dartnell and his force had several encounters with Zulu warriors before he encountered a large Zulu force that he did not have the men to engage in a fight, so decided to monitor their movements from a safe distance. He sent two troopers back to Isandlwana to report to Lord Chelmsford regarding what he had seen and let him know that he and his men would spend the night at Hlazakazi Hill in order to continue to watch the Zulus. Chelmsford sent a man back to Dartnell stating he could engage with the enemy ‘if and when he thought fit’. However, by the time Dartnell received this message the situation had changed and the Zulu force had grown to several thousand warriors. Late in the evening of 21 January Dartnell sent another messenger to Chelmsford at Isandlwana reporting this large force of Zulus and requesting that Chelmsford send men to aid the Natal Mounted Police. Receiving the message at 1.30 am on the morning of 22 January Chelmsford came to the conclusion that Dartnell had located the main Zulu force and at dawn he led a large force consisting of the 2nd Battalion the 24th Regiment of Foot, the Mounted Infantry and four artillery guns. When Chelmsford reached Dartnell he found the Zulus had gone and immediately began a search of the surrounding hills. However, the Zulus had simply bypassed the British force and were heading for Isandlwana. 
  The second detachment of 34 men of the Natal Mounted Police Dartnell had left behind fought in the Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879. Of this second detachment 25 were killed in the battle with 21 killed fighting alongside 19 Natal Carbineers in a 'last stand' defending Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Durnford. Three men of the NMP escaped from Isandlwana and made their way to Rorke's Drift where they fought in the Battle of Rorke's Drift, where one of them, Sidney Hunter, was killed in action. The first detachment of the NMP under Dartnell returned to Isandlwana on the evening of the battle where they spent the night among the ruins of the camp and the bodies of their colleagues before accompanying Lord Chelmsford's relief column on its advance to Rorke’s Drift early the next morning.
caption: The Natal Mounted Police make their way to the front under darkness - The Illustrated London News (1879)
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